Jim Goulart

Mike Fiers would not need to be added to the 40-man roster until he's in Milwaukee, either next year or 2013. Only three seasons into his pro career, he would not need to be protected from Rule 5 this offseason.

Huntsville Media Notes --Anderson Machado has filled whatever role he has been needed for this season. Machado has appeared as a pitcher in blowouts and as a pinch hitter. Last night was the first time in seven career appearances that Machado surrendered a run on the mound. *** Look for Wisconsin's Media Notes here shortly before their game this evening.

Nashville Media Notes -- GOOD BREW: The Sounds and their Major League affiliate, the Milwaukee Brewers, are a combined 27-4 in their last 31 games of action. Nashville has won eight of 10 while the red-hot Brew Crew -- who lead the National League Central by seven games -- have won 19 of their last 21 contests and boast the best record in the Major Leagues since July 6 (28-9). Including rehab stints, 15 members of Milwaukee’s current 25-man active roster have played for the Sounds during the past seven seasons.

Catch as Catch Can by Bob Brainerd, sports32.com (Time Warner Cable)http://www.sports32.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Holle-2.jpg Photos by Brad Krause http://www.sports32.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/20110417_272-199x300.jpg What compels a baseball player to offer up his services behind the plate? Who raises their hand willingly to strap on the tools of ignorance, squat down and brace themselves to be peppered, battered and bruised? “As long as I can remember,” said Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Catcher Tony Pechek. “I have a picture on my phone, to this day, that I use as my background…me as a kid with all of my catcher’s gear on when I was nine years old.” The 24-year-old Colorado native didn’t acquire his desire by training his eye on any number of popular catchers in the 1990’s. Instead, Pechek found inspiration in the form of a fictional catcher, Jake Taylor, from the movie “Major League.” “Even as a young kid I got to watch those movies…good parenting I guess,” joked Pechek. “I always liked catching and surprisingly, because of it, I actually lost a lot of speed. I was actually quicker than I am now.” Pechek stayed fleet of foot by dancing all over the diamond, taking his shots on the infield at second and third and then some corner outfield action when he was in high school at Pueblo South, where Pechek was tabbed First Team All-State as a senior. “I kind of moved everywhere except for shortstop and centerfield,” said Pechek. “But catching, that’s where I feel at home.” Finding a post prep baseball home behind the dish is another story. Make that, a series of stories. “I did not take a very good journey through college,” explained Pechek. “I started off at Wichita State (2006) for a year and a half, had 23 at bats and zero success. I came back into what I thought was going to be a backup role playing some first base and DH-ing a lot more, but that changed in the fall, so I left and went to a junior college, Central Arizona (2007) and loved it there. I loved the coaches, but from there I had three offers…go back home and play, go to Northern Colorado or Creighton in Omaha, which is in the same conference as Wichita State.” This was a chance for Pechek to block balls in the dirt at the Division 1 level once again, maybe even exact a touch of revenge against the Shockers program where things just never stayed in sync. But the Blue Jays couldn’t provide a place for Pechek to nestle in for keeps. “They gave me every opportunity and I started out real slow, my playing time diminished and my relationship with the coaches wasn’t flourishing,” said Pechek. “My dad lost his job so I couldn’t afford to go back…I couldn’t get a loan. I finished up my last year at home at a Division 2 school (Colorado State University-Pueblo).” With all the bouncing around, perhaps Pechek was wondering if he erred when he didn’t sign with the Detroit Tigers back in 2005 when he was drafted out of high school in the 41st round. His post college agenda included playing with a men’s summer league team, more recreational than competitive, and Pechek playing all over the diamond that included a cameo on the hill. The 2009 Major League draft came and went but didn’t call his name. Tony Pechek was moving on, and up. “I’m up mountain climbing in Colorado, a 14,000 footer, get off the mountain and there’s like eight voice mail messages,” said Pechek. “I’m thinking, either (my sister’s) wedding is off or someone died. It’s a call from the Milwaukee Brewers asking if I was interested in coming out and playing in Arizona. I call them back and go, yeah, I’m very much interested, but what position am I playing? I had no idea when they saw me play.” http://www.sports32.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/20110518_267-199x300.jpg The Brewers request was to put Pechek behind the plate for good, and they also needed him in Arizona on a Saturday, the same day as the wedding. Pechek explained he was in the wedding and got a reprieve, signing a free agent deal and strapping on the gear one day later. One year later, Pechek was in Helena, a notch up the Brewers food chain, where progress took a spiral turn when he injured his wrist diving for a foul ball, landing in an awkward position and dealing with a nagging sensation the rest of the season. Pechek’s offensive numbers suffered, but he remained focused on his task behind the mask. “My offense is suffering no doubt about it,” said Pechek. “I don’t know if it is because of the defense or confidence right now. There are probably a number of different things why my offense isn’t very good. But I feel like I’ve gotten pretty good at being able to control what happens on the defensive side. When I come back from the dugout the offense is put away. It’s about switching gears.” This conqueror of mountains continued his assent by making the Class A Timber Rattlers roster in 2011 as Wisconsin’s third catcher. But when former second round selection Cameron Garfield got nicked up, Pechek was able to catch on and catch more often than he anticipated. “I’m the oldest guy on the team which is kind of funny,” said Pechek. “It’s just getting to know your pitchers more than anything, knowing if you need to go out there and coddle them, tap them on the butt and say that they are the best, or going out there and getting in their face and say this is the way it’s going to be.” Pechek has an infectious personality and a veteran presence that allows him to corner a younger pitcher during a conference on the mound with a businesslike approach. His speech is straightforward and no-nonsense. http://www.sports32.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/20110417_408-200x300.jpg “You’ve got one of two choices, either pony up or we’ll get you out of here and get someone in here that can,” barks Pechek. “I think it really comes from the work I do with the pitchers outside of the game, catching their side bullpens and always being available for them to have that trust in me when I’m back there putting down the right fingers or saying to him hey, I know this isn’t your best pitch right now, but this guy can’t hit it.” Catching is a true love/hate relationship for Pechek. He adores the position with a passion, but isn’t a fan of the toll it takes on his psyche. “You wear stuff on your sleeve more so,” explained Pechek. “The mental side of it is a rough grind day in and day out. I had a bad pitch call that ended up tying up the game and I sat there wearing it on my sleeve because I know I called the wrong pitch. I take games personally…It’s more of a mental thing because the physical part sucks, but you sign up for it and take your beatings and it’s just part of the job.” Understanding that his job description also includes being a part time psychiatrist to the talented young arms he is catching, Pechek uses some of his down time to get a vibe that might help during game time. “You learn most of that just sitting around the clubhouse playing cards or talking to them about family members,” said Pechek. “You can learn a lot just becoming friends with them more than anything. First instincts of someone do carry over, but I really believe you get to know the way they’re going to be on the field by hanging out with them off the field.” And this is where Pechek shines. Approachable and chatty, Pechek carries himself with the confidence to easily flip his switch and adapt to the scenery. “I know when you have to be serious and when you don’t have to be,” said Pechek. “When I’m sitting out in the bullpen, I’m a different person then when I’m catching a game because I’m a competitive, tough-nosed person. No one’s going to hurt me or my pitcher and that’s the way I am. But when I get away from it I like to screw around and have a good time. That’s my personality. “I’m talkative so I get pulled into the kangaroo court box for stupid things I say just to keep people happy. I think my fines are going to be pretty high this season but that’s part of my personality. I just try to remember to have fun because it’s just a game. “I’ve got a job that not many people can ever say they have had or ever will have.” http://www.sports32.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/20110518_229-200x300.jpg His father, Wayne, had that same opportunity, a 1976 draftee of San Francisco who played four seasons in the Giants organization, but never tasted the absolute tip of the peak. His son, the mountain climber, dreams that he will someday be able to catch on in the big leagues and reach that summit. “There’s always that, I think that’s why you play this game, to move up and experience something new and ultimately reach that goal that you set for yourself as a kid, and that’s being a major leaguer,” said Pechek. “As you see yourself play through and measure other people’s talents and skills and play against big name guys, rehab with major leaguers, it’s a very humbling sport…not forgiving. But it’s always fun to see having an opportunity to move up.”

PCL Amer. Northern Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Omaha 69 55 .556 - - 36-28 33-27 6-4 W3 Memphis 64 60 .516 5.0 15 38-23 26-37 7-3 L1 Nashville 64 61 .512 5.5 15 38-27 26-34 8-2 W2 Iowa 57 68 .456 12.5 8 34-26 23-42 7-3 W2 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Chattanooga 31 20 .608 - - 15-12 16-8 6-4 W2 * Tennessee 29 23 .558 2.5 17 16-9 13-14 7-3 W2 Carolina 23 28 .451 8.0 11 12-13 11-15 4-6 L2 Jackson 23 29 .442 8.5 11 12-15 11-14 5-5 L3 Huntsville 21 30 .412 10.0 9 8-16 13-14 2-8 L2 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Dunedin 29 23 .558 - - 13-10 16-13 7-3 W3 Tampa 26 25 .510 2.5 17 13-14 13-11 4-6 L2 Brevard County 25 25 .500 3.0 15 10-13 15-12 6-4 W2 Clearwater 25 26 .490 3.5 15 17-11 8-15 4-6 L5 * Daytona 24 26 .480 4.0 14 12-11 12-15 4-6 L2 Lakeland 22 27 .449 5.5 13 10-14 12-13 4-6 W3 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Kane County 30 21 .588 - - 12-14 18-7 5-5 L1 Quad Cities 30 21 .588 - - 15-9 15-12 4-6 W1 Clinton 27 24 .529 3.0 17 12-13 15-11 6-4 L1 Beloit 24 27 .471 6.0 14 12-14 12-13 6-4 W1 Wisconsin 22 29 .431 8.0 12 11-17 11-12 6-4 W3 * Burlington 20 31 .392 10.0 10 11-12 9-19 6-4 W3 Cedar Rapids 20 31 .392 10.0 10 11-14 9-17 3-7 L4 Peoria 20 31 .392 10.0 10 10-17 10-14 4-6 L4 PIO North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak * Missoula 11 6 .647 - - 8-2 3-4 7-3 W4 Great Falls 10 7 .588 1.0 21 4-3 6-4 4-6 W2 Billings 9 8 .529 2.0 20 4-3 5-5 7-3 W1 Helena 6 11 .353 5.0 17 3-7 3-4 4-6 W2 AZL Central Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak AZL Dodgers 28 18 .609 - - 14-9 14-9 8-2 L1 AZL Reds 27 19 .587 1.0 10 14-9 13-10 7-3 W6 AZL Indians 23 23 .500 5.0 6 13-10 10-13 5-5 L1 AZL Brewers 12 33 .267 15.5 E 5-17 7-16 4-6 W3 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Mariners 42 24 .636 - - 21-13 21-11 4-6 L4 DSL Brewers 42 25 .627 0.5 6 21-14 21-11 7-3 W1 DSL Cardinals 25 43 .368 18.0 E 15-18 10-25 4-6 L1 DSL Athletics 24 42 .364 18.0 E 14-17 10-25 5-5 W2

Follow Thursday's action as it happens: Nashville (Gameday also available) Huntsville (Gameday also available) Brevard County Wisconsin Helena Arizona Rookie (Maryvale) Game One Arizona Rookie (Maryvale) Game Two DSL Brewers

Thursday's Daily Menu: Nashville: LHP Sam Narron at home vs. Tucson (Padres), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Nashville feed from the MiLB main audio page MiLB.TV -- for subscribers Huntsville: RHP Michael Bowman at Mississippi (Braves), 7:05 PM gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Jackson feed from the MiLB main audio page Brevard County: RHP Evan Anundsen at Daytona (Cubs), 6:05 PM gametime Live Audio Link -- It's the Cubs' feed... Wisconsin: RHP Jimmy Nelson at Peoria (Cubs), 6:40 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime Live Audio Link Helena: RHP Tyler Cravy at home vs. Ogden (Dodgers), 7:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Helena feed from the MiLB main audio page Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): Doubleheader at home vs. the Padres, making up a July 18th rainout; 11:00 AM gametime; the Padres act as the host for Game Two, each contest slated for seven innings; never audio for games in this league DSL Brewers: Huge game at home vs. the DSL Mariners, 9:30 AM, although game data won't be available until late afternoon at the earliest

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Rattler Radio Post-Game Thoughts

All photos by Dylan Brown Independent Record - Brewers first baseman Mike Nemeth takes off his helmet after hitting a home run Wednesday night at Kindrick Legion Field. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/f6/6f6063e2-c948-11e0-90e0-001cc4c002e0/4e4c84007538c.image.jpg Brewers shortstop Yadiel Rivera collects a ball before throwing it to first base for the third out of the inning http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/54/954fb0b2-c948-11e0-9356-001cc4c002e0/4e4c844020c17.image.jpg Brewers' Max Walla is stopped at the plate by Ogden catcher Pratt Maynard Wednesday evening at Kindrick Legion Field. Mr. David Marcoe called Walla out. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/51/c512eb66-c948-11e0-bb25-001cc4c002e0/4e4c84903eca4.image.jpgOgden Raptors Scott Wingo shows the ball to the umpire after tagging out Brewers' Robbie Garvey on an attempted steal http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/10/11066e68-c948-11e0-b822-001cc4c002e0/4e4c83622e71a.image.jpg

Final: @Helena 3, Ogden 1 Nemeth hits first pro home run, Williamson returns in Brewers’ victory by Amber Kuehn, Helena Independent Record It was a night of firsts at Kindrick Legion Field on Wednesday. Helena’s Mike Nemeth and Ogden’s Justin Boudreaux each hit the first home runs of their professional careers, Brewers pitcher Brandon Williamson made his first appearance on the bump since taking a line drive to the head on July 1, and starter Kevin Shackelford threw six innings of scoreless baseball for his first shutout appearance. The end result was a 3-1 Helena victory, the Brewers’ second in as many games. “It’s been awhile,” Nemeth said of the Brewers’ back-to-back wins. “It’s nice to see everybody start to come around, and when the pitching’s there, the hitting’s there. Sometime’s that’s been our issue ... but we’ve got this last stretch and we could definitely make up a lot of ground and make a run at the end.” Nemeth’s two-out double in the second inning was Helena’s first hit of the game, and he’d come around to score on Robbie Garvey’s RBI base knock. The Brewers got base runners on board with two outs over the next three innings but failed to bring them home. Then, with two outs in the sixth frame, Nemeth took a 2-2 fastball from Joel Lima deep to right field. “It felt so good,” the first baseman said. “Everybody goes through struggles and I certainly have had my fair share of them so far this summer. But I’ve been working real hard in the cage and in BP and it was nice to finally get a click.” Helena had another two-out solo shot in the eighth inning, when Ben McMahan’s no-doubter was blasted over the wall in left-center. It was McMahan’s fourth homer of the year and provided an insurance run for the hosts heading into the ninth. Shackelford was superb in his fourth start of the season, allowing just four hits and fanning three through six scoreless frames, throwing 61 pitches without walking a batter. He earned the win, his second of the season. “He’s thrown the ball well all year,” said Helena manager Joe Ayrault. “He’s got a very good sinker, and he located the ball well tonight, filled the zone up with strikes.” Williamson entered in relief in the seventh, his first game action in seven weeks. The right-hander has been recovering from a concussion after getting drilled by a line ball to the forehead in a game at Billings. “The nerves were definitely there, but I was excited to get out there and do something I love to do,” he said. “Thank the Lord I was able to come back, some people are out for a lot longer than I was and I’m fortunate enough to have a great medical staff here.” Ayrault said there were several concussion tests Williamson had to clear before he could get back on the field. The team was taking every precaution, and Williamson only started throwing about two weeks ago. “At the very beginning I didn’t even come out to the field for a week straight, and not being around the teammates, that takes a toll on you more than not even being able to play,” he said. In the first weeks following the injury, Williamson said he suffered headaches often from even the slightest bit of light, and that any form of physical exertion was more taxing than usual, making him tired and even dizzy. He hasn’t forgotten the events of July 1. “I remember everything, I remember it like it was yesterday,” he said. “I remember the pitch, where it was, exactly what happened. I didn’t go unconcious, it just stung me a little bit. It did not feel well.” Williamson went one inning Wednesday, setting the Raptors down in order. His fastball was locating, and he said it was a relief when he struck out the first batter he faced — Noel Cuevas — in that there was no chance of the ball coming back at him. “It was like playing ball for the first time,” he said. “It felt like I hadn’t played in forever.” Brewers second baseman Adrian Williams made a fine play on a groundball to end the inning, getting a back-handed stab and quickly making the throw to first for the out. It was one of several highlights by Helena’s defense, which played errorless ball. Shortstop Yadiel Rivera made a sliding catch to get Joc Pederson’s hard-hit grounder, then spun around to throw him out in the fourth. Pederson was thrown out again later in the game, trying to score the tying run in the sixth, when Helena left fielder John Dishon made the relay throw to Kyle Dhanani, who then went to Parker Berberet for the inning-ending out at the plate. “We played outstanding defense tonight,” Ayrault said. “I thought Rivera played very well at shortstop, he made a few nice plays. Then there was the relay throw home ... Adrian Williams also played solid defense up the middle.” Ogden was led by catcher Pratt Maynard, who was 2 for 3 in the game. Boudreaux provided the lone RBI for the visitors with his bomb in the eighth. Raptors starter Raydel Sanchez took the loss, giving up the one run and five hits through five innings. Helena (6-11) takes on Ogden again tonight, entering with the upperhand in the series. Derek Cone starts on the mound for the visitors, while Tyler Cravy gets the nod for the Brewers. Helena Box Score Helena Play-by-Play

Final: @Mississippi 12, Huntsville 3 Huntsville Box Score The M-Braves had 15 hits, the Stars 14, and five of Mississippi's hits came against emergency pitcher Anderson Machado in the 8th, so what's up with the final score? Errors didn't help R.J. Seidel (four of six runs unearned), but that doesn't mean he pitched well. Normally reliable lefty Lucas Luetge was blistered. Meanwhile, Mississippi played clean defense and was 12-for-19 with RISP (hello, 12-for-19!). Several Huntsville players padded their batting averages in this game, as you'll see, but this may be the most non-descript of all the farm teams right now. Here's the roster, see if you agree. Huntsville Play-by-Play

Folks need to be reminded at what the still 17-year-old Gian Rizzo has done this year. His last ten appearances represent his ten starts after three relief appearances to start the year, and he vanquished the Cardinal squad that handed him his one and only clunker on July 27th. The two 2010 DSL pitchers who jumped to Maryvale this season were 22-year-old lefty Manny Ruiz (nice numbers outside the walks) and 19-year-old Jeffrey Saba (finding too much of the plate). Should they choose to move him state-side, Rizzo would be a pitcher with both age on his side and the numbers to really intrigue next season in Maryvale. It's been a while since the Brewers had a 19-year-old "wunderkid" in full-season ball -- Rizzo in Wisconsin in 2013 would fit that bill nicely.

Ross throws seven shutout innings in 'Tees win BC tops Daytona, 5-2; reaches .500 mark in second half By Frank Longobardo / Brevard County Manatees VIERA, Fla. -- Manatees starting pitcher Austin Ross had his best outing with Brevard County on Wednesday night as the 'Tees topped the Daytona Cubs, 5-2. The win put the Manatees at the .500 mark for the second half. Ross threw seven shutout innings and allowed just four hits and one walk, while striking out six en route to his third win as a Manatee. Just two Daytona runners got past first base against Ross. He had allowed five or more runs in his five starts before Wednesday night. For the second consecutive night, Brevard County (52-68 overall, 25-25 second half) got on the board early as Josh Prince hit a two-out, two-run home run to give the Manatees a 2-0 lead. The 'Tees added another run in the third on an RBI single by D'Vontrey Richardson that plated Scooter Gennett. Chuck Caufield led the fourth off with a double and scored two batters later as Prince reached base on a throwing error by Daytona pitcher Matt Loosen, that allowed Prince to move all the way to third. Brent Dean's sacrifice fly to center would then score Prince and give the Manatees a 5-0 lead. After Ross departed the game, Rolando Pascual came in and allowed two runs on three walks and got just two outs in the eighth against the Cubs (71-49, 24-26). Bradley Blanks got the last out of the eighth and struck out the side in a scoreless ninth to preserve the Manatees victory. Both Gennett and Hunter Morris had two hits each for the 'Tees. Gennett is hitting .400 the month of August and .364 in the second half. Brevard County will go for the sweep of their rivals as the series shifts to Daytona Beach on Thursday night at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). Evan Anundsen (4-2, 4.14) will get the start for the Manatees, while Casey Harman (4-2, 3.80) will take the hill for the Cubs. The 'Tees will return home on Friday to open up a three-game set with the Tampa Yankees. Manatees starting pitcher Austin Ross threw seven shutout innings and struck out six, in Brevard County's 5-2 win over the Daytona Cubs on Wednesday night at Space Coast Stadium. (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2011/08/17/KFk8W3qz.jpg

The 19-year-old is another of the mighty-mites (listed at 5'10", 170) with defensive flexibility that you can see thriving in Wisconsin in a year or two like a couple of the (albeit older) current Rattlers are. It's still a relatively small sample, but the right-handed bat has a .925 OPS vs. RHP's in 101 AB's. Kind of an intriguing curiosity...

Huntsville Media NotesLook for Wisconsin's here as game time approaches.

From Adam McCalvy of MLB.com: General manager Doug Melvin said the Brewers were preparing to move into a new training facility near San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, that is being vacated by the Texas Rangers. It's operated by former Brewers closer Salomon Torres, who pitched the facility to the Brewers at baseball's Winter Meetings. "We're excited about the future of what we're doing there," amateur scouting director Bruce Seid said. *** What you'll notice is that the DSL standings and divisions break down by area, and the Brewers are now in the Santo Domingo Division. There may be some juggling needed to move into a current four-team San Pedro de Macoris Division.

This was probably noted elsewhere on the forums here (though I didn't see it and was unaware of it), but Bradley went to Huntsville High. Cool, there's an eventual draw for you, Stars fans (along with Hunter Morris).

Nashville Media Notes

FSL notes: Gennett gets groove back Manatees second baseman on a tear following hard-luck skid By Guy Curtright / Special to MLB.com The Milwaukee Brewers don't have to worry about how Scooter Gennett would handle a long drought at the plate. He's already gone through one. Gennett, ranked as the Brewers' No. 4 prospect by MLB.com, was hitting .314 in mid-May when he suddenly couldn't buy a hit. He finished the month in a 3-for-40 swoon as the Brevard County second baseman's averaging fell to .259. "I only struck out three times, but everything I hit somebody caught," Gennett said. "It got to be funny. I couldn't get mad, because I know that doesn't help. So I just had to laugh. I knew that I would come out of it." Gennett, 21, did just that and, after a long climb, had his average back up to .310 thanks to a .429 average over his first 13 games of August. "I try to take the positive out of everything, and I consider it a good experience," Gennett said of his slump. "I knew it was just a hiccup, that I was hitting in bad luck. I stayed focused. I showed myself and the team that I could handle a little adversity." Gennett, listed at 5-foot-9, fell to the 16th round of the 2009 Draft after committing to a scholarship at Florida State. But the Brewers got him to sign just before the deadline with a bonus of $260,000, and he appears to have been a bargain. The left-handed hitter batted .309 with Wisconsin last season in his Minor League debut and made the mid-season and postseason Midwest League All-Star Teams. He also was selected for the Florida State League All-Star Game this year, despite his May skid. Gennett has surprising pop for his size, accumulating 52 extra-base hits, including 39 doubles, a year ago. This season, he has 14 doubles, five triples and nine homers for the Manatees, drawing 21 walks and striking out 54 times. With Gennett, his defense is more a work in progress than his offense. He committed 22 errors last season while converting from shortstop to second base and has 21 errors this year for the Manatees. With his lack of height, Gennett draws comparisons to other smallish second baseman, including Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox. Maybe size doesn't really matter. "He's shown you don't have to be a big guy," Gennett said of Pedroia. "But just because he's made it, it doesn't mean I will. You have to put in the work, just like he did." Gennett, whose first name is Ryan, already has a Major League nickname. But he didn't get it from his hustle on the baseball field. It comes from his love of Muppet Babies as a child, and his quick thinking. "It's a funny story," Gennett said. "I was 4 or 5 and I kept unclicking my car seat. My mom was determined to teach me a lesson, and she told me she was taking me to the police station if I didn't stop. I didn't, so she did. I was scared. I thought I'd better come up with an alias, so when the policeman asked me my name, I said 'Scooter.' I guess it paid off, because I didn't get arrested. After that, I wouldn't answer to Ryan anymore. I was just Scooter." Now Gennett is trying to scoot to Milwaukee as fast as he can. He's already managed to stay on course despite an early curve in the road.

Just six games left for the DSL kids, they trail the hated Marineritos by two games (one game remaining against them).

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Omaha 68 55 .553 - - 36-28 32-27 6-4 W2 Memphis 64 59 .520 4.0 17 38-22 26-37 7-3 W4 Nashville 63 61 .508 5.5 16 37-27 26-34 7-3 W1 Iowa 56 68 .452 12.5 9 34-26 22-42 7-3 W1 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Chattanooga 30 20 .600 - - 14-12 16-8 6-4 W1 * Tennessee 28 23 .549 2.5 18 16-9 12-14 6-4 W1 Carolina 23 27 .460 7.0 13 12-13 11-14 5-5 L1 Jackson 23 28 .451 7.5 13 12-14 11-14 6-4 L2 Huntsville 21 29 .420 9.0 11 8-16 13-13 3-7 L1 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Dunedin 28 23 .549 - - 13-10 15-13 6-4 W2 Tampa 26 25 .510 2.0 18 13-14 13-11 4-6 L2 Clearwater 25 25 .500 2.5 17 17-10 8-15 4-6 L4 Brevard County 24 25 .490 3.0 16 9-13 15-12 6-4 W1 * Daytona 24 25 .490 3.0 16 12-11 12-14 4-6 L1 Lakeland 22 27 .449 5.0 14 10-14 12-13 4-6 W3 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Kane County 30 20 .600 - - 12-13 18-7 6-4 W3 Quad Cities 29 21 .580 1.0 - 15-9 14-12 4-6 L2 Clinton 27 23 .540 3.0 19 12-12 15-11 6-4 W3 Beloit 23 27 .460 7.0 15 12-14 11-13 5-5 L2 Wisconsin 21 29 .420 9.0 13 11-17 10-12 5-5 W2 Cedar Rapids 20 30 .400 10.0 12 11-14 9-16 3-7 L3 Peoria 20 30 .400 10.0 12 10-16 10-14 5-5 L3 * Burlington 19 31 .380 11.0 11 10-12 9-19 6-4 W2 PIO North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak * Missoula 10 6 .625 - - 7-2 3-4 7-3 W3 Great Falls 9 7 .563 1.0 22 4-3 5-4 4-6 W1 Billings 8 8 .500 2.0 21 4-3 4-5 6-4 L3 Helena 5 11 .313 5.0 18 2-7 3-4 3-7 W1 AZL Central Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak AZL Dodgers 28 17 .622 - - 14-8 14-9 9-1 W6 AZL Reds 27 19 .587 1.5 10 14-9 13-10 7-3 W6 AZL Indians 23 23 .500 5.5 6 13-10 10-13 5-5 L1 AZL Brewers 11 33 .250 16.5 E 5-17 6-16 3-7 W2 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Mariners 42 23 .646 - - 21-13 21-10 4-6 L3 DSL Brewers 40 25 .615 2.0 6 21-14 19-11 6-4 L1 DSL Cardinals 25 41 .379 17.5 E 15-16 10-25 4-6 W1 DSL Athletics 23 42 .354 19.0 E 13-17 10-25 4-6 W1

Follow Wednesday's action as it happens: Nashville (Gameday also available) Huntsville (Gameday also available) Brevard County Wisconsin Helena Arizona Rookie (Maryvale) DSL Brewers Completion of Suspended Game DSL Brewers Regularly Scheduled Game

Wednesday's Daily Menu: Nashville: RHP Wily Peralta at home vs. Tucson (Padres), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Nashville feed from the MiLB main audio page MiLB.TV -- for subscribers Huntsville: RHP R.J. Seidel at Mississippi (Braves), 7:05 PM gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Jackson feed from the MiLB main audio page Brevard County: RHP Austin Ross at home vs. Daytona (Cubs), 6:05 PM gametime Live Audio Link -- It's the Cubs' feed... Wisconsin: LHP Del Howell at Peoria (Cubs), 6:40 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime Live Audio Link Helena: RHP Kevin Shackelford at home vs. Ogden (Dodgers), 7:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Helena feed from the MiLB main audio page Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at the Giants' complex in Scottsdale; 1:00 PM gametime; never audio for games in this league DSL Brewers: First, it's at the DSL Cardinals in the completion of the August 3rd suspended game (tied at 2-2, 5th inning, detailed here), then a follow-up contest, 9:30 AM, although game data won't be available until late afternoon at the earliest

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